The health care industry is preparing for an increase in care required for the aging baby-boom generation. In addition to the baby-boomers, there is also a trend towards obesity in health care industry patients. As a result, there is a demand for useful health care furniture that can support the weight of obese patients without taking up critical floor space. Of critical importance are hospital room chairs as it has been shown that the more time a patient spends in a chair, rather than a bed, the speedier the recovery.
Existing chairs used in health care facilities tend to be bulky, get in the way of caregivers and are hard to move around the room, for example to clean. Further, existing reclining or angled chairs are difficult for patients to get out of and for caregivers to assist patients out of. There are problems both with the seat angles as well as the arms interfering with caregiver's assistance. Lift assist chairs often require a power source which limits the movability of the chair.
The chair covering is important for cleaning as well as to prevent the user from sticking to or slipping on the chair. Existing cloth covered chairs are often difficult to clean and existing vinyl covered chairs are often sticky and slippery. Additionally, current chair coverings typically do not provide for adequate air flow and dispersion of pressure across the seating contact surfaces.
Therefore, there exists a clear need for a chair with a functional covering, moveable arms, tiltability and reclinability without electrical power, a small footprint and stable structure that is portable when empty and stable when occupied.